The one time they weren't interrupted
by Doppelgnger08
Summary: Has anyone here ever noticed that poor Nancy never got to go on a full date with Ned? They always ended up involved in another mystery. I'm gonna give them a chance. Super Fluffy, just a sweet drabble. (apologies if they are a little OOC, I haven't read the books recently.)


t took a lot of convincing for my dad to let me borrow his new truck. I kiss his cheek as I hop into the front seat. He raises his eyebrows.

"Should I really be letting you out of the house in that?" I look down at my dress. It's a little on the short side, but I feel amazing in it. The black fabric slides over my thighs softly, the white details look like stars. I grin at Dad and shut the door, not answering his question.

I'm adjusting the air conditioning when my phone rings. My smile is automatic as I glance at the caller ID. It's him. Ned.

"Hey love. You almost here?" His low voice makes me relax almost immediately.

"Yep. You seem impatient. I'm getting excited." I grin as I say it, picturing him glancing at his watch. Ned isn't one to go off the schedule. It takes work to get him to be spontaneous. Not that I don't enjoy working with him. I laugh out loud at that thought, forgetting that he can hear me.

"What's so funny?" Ned exclaims, sounding defensive. I do the one thing that annoys him the most; I hang up. The rest of the drive involves me imagining his frustration.

The park has just finished remodeling, the air smelling fresh with green grass and flowers heavy with perfume. It takes me a while to find him, and when I do, that stupid grin comes back. I'm such a dork. From the look on his face, he's thinking the same thing.

I open the door as he jogs up. Ned holds his arms out, as if to hug, but when I move to wrap my arms around him, he grabs my thighs and swings me over his shoulder. I gasp, shrieking as he carries me effortlessly to the back of the truck.

"This is for hanging up on me!" He shouts triumphantly.

"You're going to break your back, and it will be my fault! Put me down, please!" I'm only half joking. I've been worried about weight irrationally for years. He doesn't know this though, so instead he pretends to jerk under my weight, 'dropping' me. I scream again, but his laugh cuts me off.

"Don't be ridiculous, Nancy. Besides, you liked it." He smirks as he sets me down. I pretend to scowl, folding my arms and trying to ignore how his arms and chest tighten as he opens the door to the bed of the truck. Then I turn, wondering why he asked me to bring the truck.

I spot his vintage car a few feet away, and I grin at the bright red paint. I helped him with that. He'd been so happy about the deal on that old heap, that I couldn't resist his offer. Ned even convinced me in his excitement to go for a ride with him. (I will be regretting that for the rest of my life. When a car only costs $200, do not agree to get in it without a test drive first.)

Next to the car is a huge picnic basket, peeking out from under a patchwork quilt. A sweet, blissfully feeling begins to ache in my chest. Ned is behind me, I can feel the heat. I close my eyes as his bare arms curl around my waist, pulling me against his chest. This is peace.

"I didn't choose to date an idiot, you know." I jerk around.

"Excuse me?! I'm not an idiot." I scrunch up my nose and give him the cutest angry look I can give him. I'm coming up with a list of all the crimes I've solved to prove I'm not stupid when he pulls me in and kisses it.

"Which is why you should already know how beautiful you are." This time I don't protest as he picks me up, hoisting me onto the truck bed.

I set up the picnic while he lays out the 's only a few poorly made peanut butter sandwiches and some grapes, but I can tell Ned made it, which kinda makes up for the lack of taste. Literally, I think the peanut butter is expired.

This is confirmed when he spits it out on the freshly mowed grass underneath the truck. I gap in surprise.

"How did you survive that? It was terrible." He says, wiping his mouth furiously. A giggle slips out of me, something that hasn't happened in years. He scowls.

"It's not funny, Nancy. I had this all planned out. It was supposed to be romantic, cause, you know, that's what girls like. Anna even helped me. I didn't want you to…" His brow furrows, an action so cute I can't help but scoot to his side of the truck.

"Didn't want me to what?" I whisper, sliding my finger underneath his chin, tilting his head to look at me, feeling the familiar pulse. The one that practically saved my life a few years ago during one of my cases. The one that made mine beat faster. The one that I'm in love with.

"I don't want you to get bored of me." He muttered, looking down at his fingernails nervously.

"What would ever make you think I could get bored with you? Honestly Ned, it would've happened a lot sooner if it was going to happen at all."

"But you're so," He waves his hands, gesturing to all of me. I can't help noticing how his eyes linger on the new dress. _Told you it would work, George._ "…unique. Exotic. Different, I guess, and I don't know, I'm worried someday you'll just get tired of an average guy like me." I bite my lip as I think of how to reassure him.

"Ned Nickerson, I may be different, and a bit of a mess, but I'm not exotic. And even if I were, I don't think I could get tired of the way you look at me. Or the way you smile when I say something incredibly weird and nerdy. Or the way you threaten to tickle me anytime I get dramatic. So even though you can't make a peanut butter sandwich to save your life, I doubt I'm gonna give up on this anytime soon."

A slow grin spreads on his face. "This?"

"Us." I explain, watching his eyes brighten. We both know he knew what I meant. Somehow saying it out loud makes it sound like a declaration. Like we're staring at all of the people that ever interrupted us in the face and shouting; "Take that, awkward moment! You will not win!"

The one thing we haven't said though, are those three words that have been famous since the start of time. It happens with every couple, the milestone that opens the door to forever, or at least, another year of being happy.

But as much as I want that to happen, one thing I've learned thanks to Ned is how to be patient. To prove to both of us that I'm perfectly content to keep things as they are, I use that finger to pull his lips down to mine.

The sandwich is promptly dropped.

He quickly goes to work destroying my carefully curled hair, while I dig my fingers into the dark hair at the nape of his neck. I've missed this. Being completely surrounded by him, being cut off from the outside world. I kiss him eagerly, not wanting this blissful feeling to leave. It's become a drug to me, something I've been deprived of too long. I crave it all the time now, and I only get it when I'm around Ned. (I file that fact away as a tactic to use against Dad when convincing him to let me go out on a school night.)

Ned's fingers dig into my waist. "I like the dress," He whispers between kisses. I grin against his lips.

"Figured."


End file.
